Giron Not Understanding No Means No

Former state senator Angela Giron made news again this week when it was reported that she is looking into running for Secretary of State in the 2014 election. She has done her own polling for the race and met with Colorado Democratic Party Latino Initiative members to discuss the possible run.

When Giron was the subject of a recall, it seemed that she was simply a victim of zealous gun rights advocates. However, as time went on and the results were tallied, it was clear that there were more issues in play than simply her stances on gun control.

Democratic Party focus groups in Giron’s former district proved that theory earlier this month, showing that constituents had been frustrated with Giron about many issues, besides her gun control stance.

Between a significant recall loss and then focus group results that showed deeper problems, one must wonder why Giron is so anxious to jump back into public service.

It looks like many of her fellow Democrats are wondering the same thing.

Some of Giron’s more influential former colleagues have already endorsed the Democrat that has announced his candidacy for Secretary of State, CU regent Joe Neguse. Unless she can get others to go back on previously announced endorsements, many of the big name Democrats that she would love to endorse her are already spoken for.

So between focus group results, lack of endorsements and a blistering recall defeat, what is inspiring and motivating Giron to think that 2014 is her year to turn it around? I’m not suggesting that her political career is over by any means, but maybe a sabbatical is called for at some point.

What Giron will inevitably come to realize, and likely fairly quickly, is that while gun rights advocates remain her highest profile opponents, members of her own party are not exactly going to roll out the welcome mat to her running for anything in 2014.

Whether she believes it or not, being the subject of an historic recall effort has effectively put her in a political timeout period that even her fellow Democrats and supporters can recognize. Even the most favorable polling about the Secretary of State’s race will not change that fact.

I also believe that after you have been dealt a loss in a state senate district, you should not immediately aim for a statewide race to redeem yourself. If a state senate district that heavily leans Democratic can turn against you, what leads one to believe that reviving the gun control debate statewide will be an easier fight?

All of us have been in a position where we were the last to clue into a difficult reality dealing with ourselves. It’s easier to believe all is well than to accept that a situation is beyond our control.

But as difficult as it is for Angela Giron to accept, she needs to find a way to embrace the truth quickly. If she doesn’t, her own party will be forced to give her the bracing dose of reality that she so far hasn’t accepted.

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– Dominic Dezzutti, producer of the Colorado Decides debate series, a co-production of CBS4 and Colorado Public Television, looks at the local and national political scene in his CBSDenver.com blog. Read new entries here usually every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dezzutti writes about federal, state and local matters and how our elected leaders are handling the issues important to Colorado. Dezzutti is also the host and producer of the Emmy award winning Colorado Inside Out on Colorado Public Television.